Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from A Hand-Book of Hindu Pantheism, Vol. 1 of 2: The Panchadasi of Sreemut Swami
For one so deservedly reputed, as the author of the panchadasi, which holds a high place in the realm of Vedantic Philosophy, it is but proper, that a short notice of his life and writings should go along with its English version. But in the matter of biography, there never was a time, nor is it even now the case, -when any attention was paid to it. India boasts of aliterature which is unique; every department of learning bears the stamp of genius, - originality, deep research, and profound and sublime thoughts. Unfortunately the lives, that Were spent in thus enriching the Sanskrit, and Opening up a world of new ideaszand new philosophies, were allowed to drop in time into the gulf of eternity, without leaving any trace of their struggles and sufferings, their joys and pleasu'res, beyond the simple fact that they lived and died. Suppression of self or egoism was a religious principle with them and this may to a certain extent account for the lack of authentic records of the lives of our great men and good. And, if to this be added the certain fact, that they lived quite unosten tatiously, with very slender means, barely enough to satisfy the simple wants of the ?esh (already reduced to starvation limits); without that artificial halo, which encircles the mushroom authors of the day: it will be evident that the incident of such lives as theirs would neither be interesting nor profitable. We had no press that could puff in those days; the art of printing was yet in the womb of distant futurity; the renown of a scholar was confined in the narrow circle of his nativity.
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